How do hops affect the taste and aroma of beer?
Hops contain 600-800 terpenes and terpenoids, as well as aldehydes, esters, phenols and thiols. They provide a variety of aromas, from fruity and floral to spicy or even spicy. Hops are among the plants with the highest concentration of these substances,
therefore, with their help, beer can be given a whole palette of flavors and aromas.
What are terpenes and terpenoids?
Terpenes are what give an orange its orange flavor, or the herb its aroma and taste. Terpenes are hydrocarbons (eg camphene, limonene, myrcene, pinene) whose molecule is composed of isoprene fragments.
More widely known and described are only about 100 of their species, all others are less defined and their properties are not fully systematized.
Effect on beer
Terpenes, esters, phenols are all released from hops during the brewing process. A very important aspect is in which production phase the hops are used. The longer the hops are boiled, the greater the deposits of all these hydrocarbons. It means that the hops should be boiled as short as possible in order to preserve as much sony and aroma as possible.
With the help of hops, you can create your own unique taste and aroma by mixing the types of hops and their amount during cooking or steeping. A wide selection of hops gives you wide opportunities to experiment and improve the taste and aroma properties of beer.
Hop aromas and flavors are called configurable because a large amount of different substances are perceived by the brain as a specific aroma or taste and smell.
If you like IPAs or other hoppy beers, you can experiment with their properties by finely grinding the hops (turning them into dust) and sprinkling them into a beer with little taste characteristics (Flat lager), thus recognizing what aromas one or another hop or a mixture of them gives.
The science behind the properties of hops is quite complex. However, with at least a partial understanding of what hops are and how they affect flavor, one can greatly advance the production of hopped beers.
